The Crystal Palace manager eventually decided, or in reality was compelled, to place his hands above his head and clap along in unison with the Selhurst Park crowd. Not quite conducting the orchestra,

The age-old British football tradition of enjoying your fiercest rival's failure as much as your own success was effortlessly maintained. The most heartening thing about the entire day was the atmosphere that crackled noisily throughout.

Nine-man Crystal Palace clung on to a 2-1 lead through 12 minutes of second-half added time at Selhurst Park to secure their first league double over arch-rivals Brighton in 92 years.